Delhi Capitals have officially secured Nitish Rana in an all-cash trade from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 season. The left-handed batter will continue at his existing ₹4.2 crore contract — the amount RR had originally paid for him at the IPL 2025 auction.

Rana, who has played over 100 IPL matches, also captained Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023 when Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to injury. His move marks a homecoming of sorts, with the Delhi-born batter set to represent his home franchise once again.

What earlier reports suggested

Before today’s official announcement, reports indicated that Rajasthan Royals were preparing to release Nitish Rana. Despite scoring 217 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 161.94 in IPL 2025, the RR management was believed to be looking for more consistent contributions from the middle-order batter.

Another major factor was the left-hand heavy batting lineup at RR. The franchise already features several southpaws in key positions — Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaubhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran — prompting the team to rebalance their squad ahead of the next season. Letting Rana go allowed them to address the imbalance.

Hetmyer stays despite speculation

In contrast to Rana, Shimron Hetmyer was always expected to be retained. Although he had a modest IPL 2025 with 239 runs in 14 matches (SR 145.73)the Royals value his finishing ability and experience. His standout performances in global franchise leagues after the IPL and his strong understanding with head coach Kumar Sangakkara further strengthened his case for retention.